American Idol contestant Amber Fiedler wowed the judges on Sunday’s final auditions show, to which she arrived 38 weeks pregnant.
Her sweet, smoky version of Etta James’ Trust in Me was fantastically moving, and heavy with meaning after Amber, 23, revealed she was giving up her baby.
‘Do you have a name picked out?’ judge Katy Perry, 35, had asked Amber, a server from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, when she entered the room.
Impressive Amber: American Idol contestant Amber Fiedler wowed the judges on Sunday’s final auditions show, to which she arrived 38 weeks pregnant
Katy: ‘Do you have a name picked out?’ judge Katy Perry, 35, had asked Amber, a server from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, when she entered the room
‘No, I’m actually placing her for adoption,’ Amber replied, as the judges reacted in surprise, then called her decision ‘mature’ and ‘commendable.’
In a video package, Amber explained that she’d had a hard time growing up, as her mother had been a substance abuser most of her life, and her grandmother raised her.
‘The last few years I was going out and drinking a bunch and I was getting caught up in life,’ the singer explained. ‘With this pregnancy, I’ve learned who I was as a person. I’ve had time to sit and think, and looking at the big picture of life, there’s days where I don’t even have $20 in my pocket. If I’m not ready to be a mom, why would I put her through that, you know?’
Hard time: In a video package, Amber explained that she’d had a hard time growing up, as her mother had been a substance abuser most of her life, and her grandmother raised her
Amber had arranged an open adoption for the baby, with a family who would be able to ‘give her everything she wants,’ she added, tearing up. ‘I think she’s really gonna… I’m hoping anyways, that she’s gonna understand I am trying to choose the best for her.’
Amber was building a relationship with her own mom, too, who had been ‘clean’ for four years.
‘Having time to think and reflect on my life, the baby, she saved me,’ Amber added, looking down and thanking her belly. ‘She really did.’
Adoption: Amber had arranged an open adoption for the baby, with a family who would be able to ‘give her everything she wants,’ she added, tearing up. ‘I think she’s really gonna… I’m hoping anyways, that she’s gonna understand I am trying to choose the best for her’
Flawless: After Amber finished singing, the judges applauded, with Luke Bryan, 43, pointing out that she’d performed flawlessly even ‘with a foot in her ribs’
After Amber finished singing, the judges applauded, with Luke Bryan, 43, pointing out that she’d performed flawlessly even ‘with a foot in her ribs.’
‘You definitely have a very big shot of going very far if you want to,’ Katy said, worried that AI’s Hollywood Week started a week after Amber’s due date. ‘You may be late, you may be early.’
‘Yeah, I’m just like, ‘If it’s meant to be, it’s all just gonna work out,’ Amber replied.
Big shot: ‘You definitely have a very big shot of going very far if you want to,’ Katy said, worried that AI’s Hollywood Week started a week after Amber’s due date. ‘You may be late, you may be early’
Luke joked that his fellow judge Lionel Richie, 70, ‘would like to put his name in the hat for godfather.’
All three judges voted to send Amber through, leading Katy to crow, ‘You’re going to Hollywood!’ before adding, ‘Don’t run too fast!’ as Amber raced to grab her ticket.
‘Slow, slow, slow, slow, slow, mom,’ Lionel warned.
Godfather: Luke joked that his fellow judge Lionel Richie, 70, ‘would like to put his name in the hat for godfather’
Slow: ‘Slow, slow, slow, slow, slow, mom,’ Lionel warned
‘Maybe you’re not ready to be a mom, but you are ready to be an American Idol,’ Katy cracked.
‘Do you hear that, baby?’ Amber asked her belly, before running off.
‘Quit running!’ Luke cried after her.
Ready: ‘Maybe you’re not ready to be a mom, but you are ready to be an American Idol,’ Katy cracked
As Amber’s family embraced her, she said, ‘My dream for the baby is that she lives a beautiful and happy life with the life that I have chosen for her, and I know she’s gonna.’
On Sunday’s show the judges saw contestants in Sunriver, Oregon, Milwaukee and Los Angeles, with Lionel immediately sure a singer was ‘gonna come through here today and wreck it for us.’
That person proved to be Robert Taylor III, a shy door-to-door salesman from Donaldsonville, Louisiana, who turned in a gorgeous piano and vocal performance of Lewis Capaldi’s Bruises.
Robert: That person proved to be Robert Taylor III, a shy door-to-door salesman from Donaldsonville, Louisiana, who turned in a gorgeous piano and vocal performance of Lewis Capaldi’s Bruises
‘I think your voice is absolutely incredible,’ Lionel told him. ‘When you’re talking to us, you seem shy, and you sat at that piano, and you turned into the artist.’
Robert, 27, teared up, explaining that he had come to the show on the wishes of his late father, who’d always struggled with drugs but had supported him in finding his ‘true self.’
When Robert came out as gay last year, ‘a lot of my family just kind of disowned me,’ he recalled. ‘My dad was the only person who accepted me fully.’
Lionel: ‘I think your voice is absolutely incredible,’ Lionel told him. ‘When you’re talking to us, you seem shy, and you sat at that piano, and you turned into the artist’
True self: Robert, 27, teared up, explaining that he had come to the show on the wishes of his late father, who’d always struggled with drugs but had supported him in finding his ‘true self’
Katy walked around the judging table and hugged him, saying, ‘For Robert Taylor II. There’s a lot of us here to support you, and it’s gonna be fun. Okay? We’re going to make it fun.’
Grace Leer, up next, had made it the top 20 of American Juniors, ‘the kid version of American Idol,’ when she was 11, performing in front of an early-career Ryan Seacrest, 45.
As an adult she moved to Nashville, where she worked in technology sales and put together a band, but became jaded the ‘competitive’ and ‘saturated’ nature of that market.
Katy: Katy walked around the judging table and hugged him, saying, ‘For Robert Taylor II. There’s a lot of us here to support you, and it’s gonna be fun. Okay? We’re going to make it fun’
Grace: Grace Leer, up next, had made it the top 20 of American Juniors, ‘the kid version of American Idol,’ when she was 11, performing in front of an early-career Ryan Seacrest, 45
Her rendition of Crowded Table, by the Highwomen, had all three judges beaming, and when they told her they loved her cover of Patsy Cline’s Crazy, she cried to hear it.
‘I’ve been wanting to be a singer since I was a little girl, and that was the first time I ever felt like, ‘Holy crap… this is possible,’ Grace said after getting her ticket.
Franklin Boone, a 27-year-old music instructor from Durham, North Carolina, also impressed the judges with his jazzy version of Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams.
Rendition: Her rendition of Crowded Table, by the Highwomen, had all three judges beaming, and when they told her they loved her cover of Patsy Cline’s Crazy, she cried to hear it
Franklin: Franklin Boone, a 27-year-old music instructor from Durham, North Carolina, also impressed the judges with his jazzy version of Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams
‘The first note you hit told me a big old story about you,’ Luke told Franklin, who worked with kids age six to 18. ‘I just see ‘recording artist’ and so much artistry in you.’
Katy said she thought Franklin could win the whole thing, while Luke compared him to last year’s winner, Alejandro Aranda, 25, before he got his golden ticket.
Community activist Roselyn Carter, aka ‘Roso,’ 26, used music to transcend her life in L.A.’s Watts neighborhood, where there was violence and she had ‘lost some folk.’
Big story: ‘The first note you hit told me a big old story about you,’ Luke told Franklin, who worked with kids age six to 18. ‘I just see ‘recording artist’ and so much artistry in you’
Compared: Katy said she thought Franklin could win the whole thing, while Luke compared him to last year’s winner, Alejandro Aranda, 25, before he got his golden ticket
‘I been singing my whole life,’ Roso said. ‘Music has always been that void-filler. I just know I could escape with this. I could go to other realities with this, outside of what was going on.’
The ‘church singer’s’ cover of Mother Bowed by The Pilgrim Travelers was heartfelt, but Katy wanted more, so Roso knocked them out again with her version of John Legend’s So High.
‘That was what you call ‘natural talent,’ Lionel said afterward. ‘And I don’t have to coach it up, coach it down. It’s just one of those wonderful things to just watch.’
Natural: ‘That was what you call ‘natural talent,’ Lionel said afterward. ‘And I don’t have to coach it up, coach it down. It’s just one of those wonderful things to just watch’
‘Let’s go Roso!’ the judges cheered as they gave her a ticket to show to her family.
In one strange moment, the judges conducted their first-ever audition on a boat, listening to Megan Knight, a 21-year-old musician from Williamstown, New Jersey, who sang Glen Hansard’s When Your Mind’s Made Up.
After sending her through, Katy pretended to be Rose DeWitt Bukater from Titanic, standing on the back of the boat with her arms spread as Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On played.
Megan: In one strange moment, the judges conducted their first-ever audition on a boat, listening to Megan Knight, a 21-year-old musician from Williamstown, New Jersey, who sang Glen Hansard’s When Your Mind’s Made Up
Pretend: After sending her through, Katy pretended to be Rose DeWitt Bukater from Titanic, standing on the back of the boat with her arms spread as Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On played
‘This is weird,’ Luke said, as he and Lionel stood behind her with their arms around each other.
When they were back at the judges’ table, Lionel found his chair occupied by singer Gilberto Rivera, 23, from Orlando, who dressed in a sequined rainbow top and red thigh-high boots.
Lionel crooned his hit song Hello to him, and Gil surprised him by singing the rest of it back.
Gilberto: When they were back at the judges’ table, Lionel found his chair occupied by singer Gilberto Rivera, 23, from Orlando, who dressed in a sequined rainbow top and red thigh-high boots
Boots: Lionel crooned his hit song Hello to him, and Gil surprised him by singing the rest of it back
Katy loved Gil’s ‘real’ audition song, Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Proud Mary, which had her twirling her sleeves and yelling, ‘Work for it! Come on! Give it all you got!’ as Gil revved up.
Gil promised to give the judges his stripped-down self for the show, and Katy semi-seriously asked him if that included a chest wax, noting that AI may put him ‘through the star wash.’
She also urged Gil to take himself more seriously, saying ‘Your voice is the rainbow flag.’
Audition: Katy loved Gil’s ‘real’ audition song, Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Proud Mary, which had her twirling her sleeves and yelling, ‘Work for it! Come on! Give it all you got!’ as Gil revved up
Asked: Gil promised to give the judges his stripped-down self for the show, and Katy semi-seriously asked him if that included a chest wax, noting that AI may put him ‘through the star wash’
After he made it through, Gil was shown getting a chest wax for his Hollywood trip.
Aliana Jester, an 18-year-old server from Fort Walton Beach, Florida, brought her ’emotional support’ animal, a French bulldog, to her audition.
Her pup whimpered as Aliana sang a loud cover of the Jackson 5’s Who’s Loving You.
Alaina: Aliana Jester, an 18-year-old server from Fort Walton Beach, Florida, brought her ’emotional support’ animal, a French bulldog, to her audition
Alaina and pup: Her pup whimpered as Aliana sang a loud cover of the Jackson 5’s Who’s Loving You
As a child, Aliana had been very close to her mother, but they grew estranged after her mom started a ‘new religion’ and her daughter decided not to be part of it.
After her mom found out that she was dating someone who wasn’t religious, Aliana was banished to her room all day, which made her so depressed she began hurting herself.
She had since moved in with her father, who’d had no idea any of that was going on.
Jazhan: Jahzan, 18, a busker in New York City, told the judges she had left Kingston, Jamaica, with her mom at age 15 and the two of them were now homeless, living in her uncle’s salon
The judges loved her, and sent her through, with Luke calling her a ‘special, special’ talent.
Jahzan, 18, a busker in New York City, told the judges she had left Kingston, Jamaica, with her mom at age 15 and the two of them were now homeless, living in her uncle’s salon.
‘We came here, first and foremost, for safety,’ Jahzan recalled. ‘For reasons I can’t discuss on television, but we were in fear for our lives, so we came over here to escape from that.’
Jamaica: Jahzan, 18, a busker in New York City, told the judges she had left Kingston, Jamaica, with her mom at age 15 and the two of them were now homeless, living in her uncle’s salon
‘Nobody even knows about my situation at school,’ she added. ‘I don’t tell them because I don’t want to be looked on with pity.’
Lionel asked Jahzan’s mother to perform with her daughter like they were in the subway, and they played off each other for a version of Rockabye Baby by Clean Bandit.
As Jahzan prepared to then sing Demi Lovato’s Warrior, her mother changed her shoes and dress for that performance, then remained in the background to pray.
Performers: Lionel asked Jahzan’s mother to perform with her daughter like they were in the subway, and they played off each other for a version of Rockabye Baby by Clean Bandit.
Katy said her mom did the same thing, though usually she was ‘speaking in tongues in the background.’
The judges told Jahzan they’d have to coach her quite a bit, but they were in her corner.
‘Thank you, Jesus,’ her mom said, still praying as Lionel handed her a tissue and praised her parenting, telling her they would take the load off her as they sent her daughter through.
Coach: The judges told Jahzan they’d have to coach her quite a bit, but they were in her corner
Jordan Moyes, a 25-year-old special needs mentor from Provo, Utah, sang Bruce Springsteen’s I’m on Fire so beautifully Luke whispered to Katy, ‘I want to sign him… now.’
All three of the judges immediately sent him through, trying not to squeeze his talented hands.
Demi Rae, a 26-year-old nanny from San Jose, California, brought to her audition a book she’d written about her future when she was nine, which predicted she would go on American Idol.
Jordan: Jordan Moyes, a 25-year-old special needs mentor from Provo, Utah, sang Bruce Springsteen’s I’m on Fire so beautifully Luke whispered to Katy, ‘I want to sign him… now’
Demi: Demi Rae, a 26-year-old nanny from San Jose, California, brought to her audition a book she’d written about her future when she was nine, which predicted she would go on American Idol
Her searing version of Noah Cyrus’ Mad At You astounded the judges, who couldn’t believe she’d never pursued singing professionally.
‘I get really insecure,’ Demi Rae said. ‘Because I don’t look like the other girls. And it’s really hard with social media and stuff. I get anxiety, but the only place I’m comfortable is doing this.’
‘If this is how you sing scared to death and with no confidence, I can’t imagine how you’re gonna be when you realize, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got this,’ Lionel said.
Scared: ‘If this is how you sing scared to death and with no confidence, I can’t imagine how you’re gonna be when you realize, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got this,’ Lionel said
Book: Katy handed Demi Rae’s book back to her, saying, ‘Page 3 is your answer,’ after tucking her ticket in there
Katy handed Demi Rae’s book back to her, saying, ‘Page 3 is your answer,’ after tucking her ticket in there.
In Sunriver, the judges roasted giant s’mores over a fire when their security almost took out a mullet-wearing shirtless singer named Nash, who rushed their group.
The 18-year-old welder from Newman Lake, Washington, then auditioned with Toby Keith’s Should’ve Been a Cowboy, as Luke and Lionel joined in.
Shirtless: In Sunriver, the judges roasted giant s’mores over a fire when their security almost took out a mullet-wearing shirtless singer named Nash, who rushed their group
Hugs: They decided not to send him through, but hugged Nash in ‘a human marshmellow’ formation
Audition: The 18-year-old welder from Newman Lake, Washington, then auditioned with Toby Keith’s Should’ve Been a Cowboy, as Luke and Lionel joined in
They decided not to send him through, but hugged Nash in ‘a human marshmellow’ formation.
Makayla Brownlee, a 17-year-old student from Wellington, Kansas, flew for the first time to get to the auditions, where she told the judges about her love for nighttime water snake hunting.
Her cover of the Dixie Chicks’ Travelin’ Soldier was shockingly professional, and Katy said, ‘What a surprise! Like a snake in the water. Makayla, you’ve got a really good voice on you.’
Makayla: Makayla Brownlee, a 17-year-old student from Wellington, Kansas, flew for the first time to get to the auditions, where she told the judges about her love for nighttime water snake hunting
Voice: Her cover of the Dixie Chicks’ Travelin’ Soldier was shockingly professional, and Katy said, ‘What a surprise! Like a snake in the water. Makayla, you’ve got a really good voice on you’
‘Get ready for a dog fight in Hollywood,’ Luke cautioned her, sending her through.
Other contestants amused the judges but failed to go through, among them an insanely flexible dancer, an aggressive saxophone player, and a balloon sculptor who made Katy a Viking hat, complete with braids and a pink sword she gave to Luke, who whacked her with it.
American Idol’s Hollywood Week begins Monday night on ABC.
Hollywood: ‘Get ready for a dog fight in Hollywood,’ Luke cautioned her, sending her through
Hollywood week: American Idol’s Hollywood Week begins Monday night on ABC